The Woman's College of The University of North Carolina LIBRARY
^5
COLLEGE COLLECTION
Gift of Eunice Br^stw Oat law A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF A NUTRITION
PROGRAM ON THE EATING HABITS OF A GROUP OF FIRST GRADE CHILDREN
By Eunice Bryan Outlaw
An abstract of a thesis submitted to the Faculty of the University of North Carolina in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.
Greensboro
1943 EUNICE BRYAN OUTLAW. A Study to Determine the Effect of a Nutrition Program on the Eating Habits of a Group of First Grade Children. (Under the guidanoe of MISS VIVA M. PLAYFOOT, Chairman of Committee and IS. ORREA F. PYE, Director.)
The purpose of this study was to discover whether improvements
could he brought about in the food habits of first grade children by
a nutrition teaching unit. First, information regarding food habits
of the children when they started to eohool was obtained from both
children and parents through the personal interview or questionnaire
method; second, records were kept of their eating habits in the
school lunchroom; third, information was obtained from both children
and parents by individual interviews, after the nutrition teaching.
A comparison of the children's eating habits before and after the
teaching program showed improvement in the majority of cases. A close
relationship between economic status and intelligence quotients with
improved eating habits was indicated. It is concluded that the food
habits of children of first grade age level can be improved by a nutrition teaching unit adapted to their needs and interests. A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF A NUTRITION
PROGRAM ON THE EATING HABITS OF A GROUP OF FIRST GRADE CHILDREN
4>
Eunice Bryan Outlaw
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the University of North Carolina in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.
Greensboro
19^3
Approved by:
of Commi
Director of thesis Acknowledgements
The writer wishes to express sincere appreciation to Hiss Viva
M. Playfoot for constant guidance and encouragement; to Dr. Orrea
F. Pye, for direction of the stud; and constructive criticisms during the writing of the thesis; to Miss Marian D. Stanland for generous help and useful suggestions; and to other friends who gave assistance in various ways.
The writer also wishes to thank Mr. Ralph Brimley, a member of her committee and principal of Curry Training School, and Miss Joyce
Cooper, first grade teacher, for their cooperation and assistance in carrying out the teaching program. TABLE OF COHTEMTS
PAGE
Chapter I 1 Introduction Chapter II 5 Beview of Literature Chapter III 16 Procedure Chapter IV 26 Eesuite and Discussion Chapter V kl Some Striking Changes Occurring in Eating Habits of Individual Children Chapter VI kk Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
Bibliography k6 Appendix g
ii 71 LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE X. Age Distribution of Children 16 2. Distribution of Intelligence 17 Quotients
3. Economic Classification of the Families of the Subjects 17 k. Summary of Data Obtained from 27 Interviews with Children
5. Summary of Data Obtained from 31 Parents 6. Summary of Classification of 37 Daily Dietary Habits of Children Acoording to Reports from Indi- vidual Children and Parents
7. Summary of Evaluation of Children's 39 Lunches Eaten in School Cafeteria
8. Relationship between Improvement kC in Eating Habits and Economic Status
9. Relationship between Improvement kl in Eating Habits and Intelligence Quotients
ill APPEHDIX
FAGS
I. Diary Account of First Grade Nutrition Unit 1
II. Criteria For Economic Groups 17
III. Questionnaire Used to Obtain Information 18 from Parents
IY. Directions for Giving Foods Test to First 19 Grade Children
V. Foods Test Used With First Grade Children 20
VI. Compilation Table 1. Classification of Daily 21 Dietary Habits of Children According to Reports from Individual Children and Parents
VII. Compilation Table 2. Classification of Eating 23 Hahite of Individual Children at School Lunch
ir CHAPTER I
Introduction
Within reoent years the need for nutrition education through-
out our nation has become more and more apparent. Of the million
men examined physically by Selective Service before May, 19Ul,
approximately 1*00,000 were found unfit for military service. It
was estimated by Brigadier General Lewis B. Herehey that probably
one-third of these were suffering from disabilities directly or
indirectly connected with nutrition. The chief single cause for 1 rejection was bad teeth. The National Nutrition Conference called
in May, 19*H> by President Franklin D. Roosevelt focused public
attention on the necessity for an all-out program to Improve the
nation's health by eduoation concerning right food habits and
food values. Our present emergency has pointed out the need for better nutrition; it has not created it. It has Jogged us out of
a rut, made us think what might be done, and wonder what is the most effective way to do it. The recommendations of the National
Nutrition Conference included the following:
The development of an integrated program of nutrition education to be carried on through the schools frgm the first grade through the adult education classes.
1. Lewis B. Herehey, "Seleotlva Servioe and Its Relation to Nutrition," Proceedings of the National Nutrition Conference for Defense, p. 67-
2. Howard Y. McClusky, "Community Planning for Nutrition," Proceedings of the National Nutrition Conference for Defense, P- 195- 2.
and:
Suitable teaching of good food habits should be given In the schools at all levels and to both sexes. The teaching should be adapted to the needs of various popu- lation groups and to the eodnomic situation of the fam- ily. The educational possibilities of the school lunch should be utilized.^
Letltia Walsh says of elementary nutrition education. "It
would seem both economical and effective for children at an early
age to establish right habits of eating food. Hot only would such
instruction in the primary grades save the need of breaking undesir-
able hatlts later, but It would also provide for cumulative social
learnings at the various levels of the pupil6' maturity and needs."
The purpose of this study is to attempt to measure the effective- ness of a nutrition teaching program in the first grad*— to determine
if possible to what extent sound food habits may be established through
instruction in nutrition. The interest of the writer grew out of a desire to find out for herself how much Information in nutrition, given first grade students in the classroom, could be made use of in real life situations.
Lucy H. Gillett and Hazel Kyrk, "Economic Policy and Social Responsibility", Proceedings of the National Nutrition Conference for Defense, p. 99.
^Letltia Walsh, "Home Economics in General Education at Elementary and Beoondary Levels", Journal of Home Economics, XXIX (October, 1937), 55^. CHAPTER II
Reviev of Literature
In reviewing the literature, a summary is given first of
studies vhich have teen made pertaining to the measurement and
improvement of the food hahite of groups of children. Second,
a summary is given of the methods used in these and other studies
to ohtain information about the eating habits of various groups of
students. The purpose of this is to find the methods which would he most adaptable and reliable for use in the present study. In
the third part of this chapter, a digest is given of various exper-
iences and conclusions of several workers in the field of elementary education which seem pertinent to the teaching program to be under- taken in this experiment.
The influence of numerous factors upon the food habits of differ- ent groups of students at various age levels has been the subjeot of several studies. The groups studied have included nursery school, children in public schools, and college students.
At the nursery school level, Campbell studied the effect of nursery school teaching in 1935 when he compared seventeen former nursery school children, aged five to fifteen years, and a similar group of non-nursery school children as observed in a summer school camp. It was found that the former group ate more vegetables, but lees bread and eggs. There was little detectable difference in the two groups on the whole.
%. H. Campbell, "The Effect of Nursery School Training Upon the Later Food Habits of the Child", Child Development,IV(Deoember, 1933), 328. In 1953 Jimsiana Brassfield made a study to determine to what
extent the food and health habits of elementary pupils could he eval-
uated and improved when necessary. She used a list of foods which
students ate previous to a teaching program as an indication of their
eating habits, and the lists of foods which the pupils learned to
like during the study as an Indication that the teaching of nutrition
changed their food habits, at least for the time. Her conclusions
wore that the fundamental principles of nutrition are easily taught
and less difficult for the dull or disinterested student to learn when there is an opportunity to make practical applications.
Martha Hardy and Carolyn Hoefer made a study of the results of a health education program in Joliet, Illinois. The program investi- gated included two years of preliminary teaching followed by a three- year period of health instruction in which classroom projects were supplemented by interviews with child specialists. The immediate outcomes were measured by means of dietary histories covering the period of health instruction. At the end of every year each child was given a health examination by a physician. After each of these examinations the physician summarized his findings in the form of a general description of the child's health status. When compari- sons were made of children of the same age, with the same physical condition at the beginning of the program, and from similar types of homes, those who had participated in the health projects conducted in the classrooms were said to be healthier at the close of the pro-
2 JimBiana Brassfleld, _An Experiment in the Teaching of Nutrition To Improve the good Habits of a Group of Elementary School Pupils and College Students, ^published Master's thesis, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 1933-) 5.
gram than those who did not receive that instruction. The change
between the first examination and the last was quite noticeable in
the case of the instructed pupils, and it was believed that a real
improvement was indicated. The pupils in the control group were in
little better condition at the final examination than they were in
the beginning of the program. The instructed pupils improved in
dietary practices with the exception of drinking tea and coffee.
The most marked difference made between the two groups was observed in the
consumption of other vegetables and milk. Marked increase in consumption
cereals was likewise established in the instructed group. Among the
instructed pupils the chances were better than 93 in 100 that fruits
were more frequently a part of their daily diet during the last year
of the teaching than it had been the preceding year.^
A five-year program of health education was carried out by Bent
and Green in Nashville, Tennessee, to alleviate the high death rate among
negroes in that vicinity. A questionnaire revealed knowledge of foods
to be most deficient and food habits very poor. The facts obtained
from 140 students were: 11 had fairly well-balanced diets: 122 drank
no milk whatsoever; 136 ate neither tomatoes nor oranges; 58 ate no
green leafy vegetables. After a health program taught throughout the
school, a second survey showed the following improvements; 36 per cent
instead of Ik per cent included milk in their diet regularly, 16 per cent instead of 0.0U per cent included fruits and vegetables in their k diets regularly.
3 Marthe. Hardy and Carolyn H. Hoefer, Healthy Growth, p 261-263.
M. J. Bent and Ellen E. Green, "An Experiment in Health Education," Journal of Health and Physical Education, VII (October, 1936), U86-k88. 6.
In 1923 the city of Fargo, North Dakota, entered into partnership
with the Commonwealth Fund in a five-year demonstration of ways and
means by which approved ohild health services might he incorporated
into the permanent program of the health department and the puhlic
school system. The aim of the school health program was to institute for
every child a personal health program whioh would enahle him to reach
and hold the highest level of physical health of whioh he was individu-
ally capable, to develop the puhlic health program to a point where
this became possible, and to give the child the facts necessary to make
both programs self-perpetuating. The health routine, in whioh the Fargo
classrooms were engaged, in addition to medical and dental examinations,
immunization, and home visiting by the nurses, included the continbus
observation of the Individual child by the teacher, who kept Informal
memoranda in reoord form. These memoranda recorded the child's progress
in the correotible defects and the major elements in his individual
health problem. A health habit reoord was kept by the child at school
and also by the parent at home. Daily health inspection was made in-
formally while health records were being marked. Weight and height
records were kept, and weight report cards were kept. Milk was served
at school to every child. Health was taught in all grades and many
activities and projeots were carried out. It was believed that the
teaching was quite successful, but no objective measurements of pro- gress were made.
As a part of an experimental school health educational project whioh extended over a six-year period from 1932 in Cattaraugus County, New York,
5 Maud A Brown, Teaching Health In Fargo, p.p. 2-k, 138. 8.
effectively as an educational projeot for improvement of food habits.^
Laoey demonstrated improvement of eating habits of eeoond grade
children through a claeeroom unit of foods UBing subjective means of 8 measurements.
Rhinehart, in 19^2, carried out a five-year developmental experi-
ment sponsored by a private social agenoy in a public sohool, through
vhich he sought to develop better sleep and dietary habits in order to
improve home and school adjustments, the general physical development of
the children, and their social relationships. Dietary and sleep records
were kept of the ohildren and they indicated appreciable favorable change.
Weight changes offered some substantiation of the improvement in dietary 9 and sleep records.
Botto, in 1951-1932, carried on an investigation in seven schools
in the state of Kentucky with about five hundred girls, of whom about
two-thirds had had home economics instruction. She found that the
home economics training had not significantly improved the food habits 10 of the students.
Jones, in 193^, made a study of the same type as Botto's in Iowa,
but gathered additional information. She found out which foods served
were not eaten, and she gave a test to discover what the ohildren knew
^American Child Health Association, Child Health Demonstration , Mansfield and Biohland County, Ohio, p.p. 291-292, 298. Q Frances Laoey, "Building Health Through a School Activity," Childhood Education, HI (March, 1936), 273-75.
* Jesse Batley Rhinehart, "Some Effeots of a Plve-Year Develop- mental Experiment Sponsored by a Private Social Agency in a Public Sohool," Journal of Experimental Education, I (June, 19^2), 200-205.
^ Clara M. Brown, Evaluation and Investigation in Home Economics, p. 21*6. 7.
Shuttleworth made a series of evaluation studies in an effort to deter-
mine the effectiveness of the program in terms of two objectives, namely,
the improvement of pupil health behavior and of pupil understanding in
relation to health. At the elementary level, comparisons vere made
between conditions as they existed in the one-teacher and two-teacher
schools in 1932, near the beginning of the experimental project, and
again in 1936 or later. Evaluation methods included pupil question-
naires on daily health practices; health information tests; classroom
observations of pupils' health habits; and parent interviews. A
questionnaire on dally health practices formed the basis for the home
studies. Thorough analysis showed that health practices in 1936 were
significantly better than in 1932. Evidences of improvement seemed
to indicate that the school program was slowly producing beneficial
effects in aiding pupils to assume greater responsibility for the
practice of health habits.
A successful child health demonstration was carried on in Mansfield
and Bichland County, Ohio, from 1922- 1925 through the American Red
Cross. The nutrition teaching in the elementary grades was given by
the regular classroom teachers under the direction of the health education director. Food score cards of food habits were kept by each teacher for every ohild. These indicated in many oases great improve- ment in habits. They served the three-fold purpose of actively inter- esting the teaoher, the ohild and the parent in the child's food habits.
SuooesBful efforts were also made to correlate nutrition with other subjects taught in the curriculum. The school lunch was used very
Huth E. Grout, "Appraising a Sohool Health Eduoation Program,' American Journal of Public Health, XXX (July, 191*)), 798-80V. 9- about food values. She concluded as had Botto, that the home economics training given had not significantly improved food habits, although suoh training seemed to have some influence in the oase of certain foods. She discovered, in addition, that meals served to the children vere often in- adequate and that there appeared to he little relationship between food
habits and knowledge of food values. In 1956, when the Wisconsin Home Economics Association was attempting
to develop an improved course of study for the secondary schools of the
state, Segner decided to have their proposed foods unit tried out in the
state. She checked the pupils' knowledge both before and after instructing
using pencil and paper tests. She developed a dietary form on which stu-
dents recorded what they ate, when they ate it, and what was on the table
that they refused to eat. She also developed a crude scoring form to use
in evaluating the dietaries. Like Botto and Jones, Segner found no signif
Xicant improvement in dietary practices resulting from the etudy of the
feeds unit, although the classes made significant gains on the pencil and
paper tests. She found that the lack of improvement in dietary habit,
might in many cases be explained by the fact that the students were not
effered adequate meals. Probably the most significant of Segner's find-
ings was that, although the improvement in dietary practices for the
group «s a whole was disappointingly small, the improvement in certain
classes was very marked. She had no evidence to show why some groups 1? improved their habits and others did not.
U Ibid., p. 2U6.
ISjbid,, p. 2U6. 10.
With results in contrast to the three latter studies cited above,
Stone, as reported by Brendle, carried out a similar study investigating the improvements in nutritional habits of high school students through home economics teaching in 1929- Weight gains in both groups ware studied, and a decided increase in the number of pupils eating the types of break-
fasts and lunches classified as good led her to conclude that food habits
of high school students could be improved by instruction based on their nutritional needs, but that lack of control of home conditions may hinder nutritional changes.
The present study was conducted with first grade children. An
attempt was made to evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive period of nutrition teaching upon the food habits of these ohildren. In seeking
the best method for determining what the children's eating habits were prior to and after teaching, the studies Just reviewed and others were examined for suggestions ae to methods. Bent used a questionnaire which Ih revealed knowledge about foods and good eating habits to be deficient.
Prentiss and Jones analyzed records of nursery school children kept by adults.15 MoCoy and Bull used a like method with a similar group.
*' 01®° Brendle, "Foofl froduct'OP and Consumption Practices In a Selected Group of NortnTarollna Homes," runpupxisned Master's tnesls, The University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, 19*10
Ik Bent and Green, op_. olt., p. kQ6.
15 Sara W. Prentiss and Mary Cover Jones, "The Observations of Food Hsbits in Young Children," Childhood Education, VII (September, 1930), lh-17. l6Jeanette B. McCoy and Helen D. Bull, "Ten Good Eaters and Ten Poor Eaters," Journal of Pedlatrios, XVII (August, 19*0), 232. 11.
Shuttlevorth used pupil questionnaires, health information tests,
classroom observations on pupils'1 health practices, and parent inter- 17 Tieva. Hardy measured immediate outcomes of a teaching program by
means of dietary histories covering the period of instruction.18
Martin made a survey of the seleotion of school lunches during a
whole year to see the effect of a health program in progress.19
Peterson, who investigated the food habits of 1,62k sixth and seventh
grade pupils in ten elementary schools of Chicago obtained information
concerning food consumption by having the pupils keep daily records
of their food consumption for one week. Pupils submitted these with-
out signing their names, and it was thought that they were faifcly 20 accurate. It was felt that a combination of a number of these
methods would be desirable to use in the study about to be undertaken.
In planning an effective means of nutrition teaching for the first grade children, the experiences and conclusions of workers in the field of elementary health education were studied.
The Joint Committee on Health Problems in Education has defined
17 Grout, o£. cit., p. 799._
18 Hardy and Hoefer, op_. cit., p. 26l.
9 Ithel Austin Martin, "Food SElection For Health," Nation's Schools, HIT (Ootober, 1939)* 62-66.
20 Agnes B. Peterson, "Food Habits of Sixth and Seventh Grade Children in Ten Elementary Schools of Chioago," Research Quarterly, II (December, 1938) , 75-76. 12.
the general term "health education" ae the "sum of experiences in the
school and elsewhere, whioh favorably influenoe habits, attitudes,
and knowledge " Very little concrete information is given in
the literature as to how it is best to build attitudes except by
training in habits and knowledge and letting attitudes develop inci-
dentally. "Health teaching in the primary grades consists largely of
supervising and directing pupils in healthful living and developing desirable attitudes for healthful living." *
Stone says, "The teaching of nutrition in the grades should be
done by the regular classroom teacher as an Integral part of their
health instruction." ' Most educators agree that the formation of habits is of utmost importance, but that unless these habits are
controlled by thought they will not function under all circumstances.
"Life demands that we continually make adjustments to unexpected
situations. Habits alone will not always help us Teaching
should be based on life experiences, and not subject matter topics.
Subject matter should be presented if it contributes to life exper- iences." 2^ Strang and Smiley believe that vith such instruction there is no gap between thinking and doing. The children learn to do better the things they would be doing without guidance. Only if this
21 Health Education, Beport of Joint Conmittee on Health Problems in Education, p. 16. 22 "Suggested School Health Policies. A Committee Beport: Part II," Journal of Health and Physioal Education, H(June, 19to), 558.
2^ Harriet Stone, "The Functions of the Nutritionist," Health and Physioal Education, IX (October, 1958), W2.
2J* Lillian Davis, "The Function of the Health Teacher," Health and Physical Eduoatlon.IX (September, 1958), ^20-421. 13- action is followed up by reason will the principles applied in school be effective in other situations at home and in later life. ^
It is conceded by most health specialists that the specific know/ ledge concerning foods and growth which children in the primary grades should be expected to learn, is very simple and very limited in amount.
According to Stone:
The chief nutritional emphases for these younger children are: that we should hare breakfast every morning before coming to school; that we should have milk in some form at every meal; that we should eat vegetables and some whole grain cereal of bread every day; -that cod liver oil helps children to grow with straight legs and good teeth; that sweets are desserts to be eaten at the end of a meal, not between meals Other aspects of health education must be developed along with nutri- tion education. The relationship between nutrition, sleep, and rest, regularity of living, sunshine and fresh air, exeroise and resistance to infection, sanitation and safety becomes increasingly more apparent and more significant. 26
Grout says that there should be little, if any formal health teaching in the lower grades.27 The greatest single weakness of health teaching has been the tendency to "talk" health to pupils, when they should be doing "healthful things".28 Eduoators must enter the child's world and demonstrate how health habits contribute to the things the 29 child wants to do and be.
25 Butji M. Strang and Dean F. Smiley, The Role of the Teacher in Health Education, p. 221. 26 Harriet Stone, "Nutrition in the Classroom!!, Health and Physi- cal Education, XH(Nove«ber, 19*H), 50U-5O5, 531-533-
2?Buth E. Grout, Handbook of Health Education, p. 12.
28 Howard L. Conrad and Joseph F. Meister, Teaching Procedures In Health Eduoation, p. 71- 29 Buth Strang, "Three B's for Health Habits," Health and Physical Education, VIII (September, 1937)> Ml. According to Strang and Smiley, it is of value for childrenjto road of situations similar to their own vhioh reinforoe their good hahits and lead to the formation of simple guiding principles for future conduct. Fanciful tales and stories about faraway things and places may have little health educational value since children fail to
connect these remote experiences with their own daily activities.*
Classroom experiences with pictures, stories, discussions, and ex- pressions of approval on the part of the teacher and members of the
class help to "build up a favorable class attitude.
The importance of having children actually handle foods is
stressed throughout the literature. Strang and Smiley say that nothing arouses so much interest among primary children as cooking and eating.
They summarize the experiments of Rose and Bosley in teaching nutrition as follows: It was found that the preparation of simple foods in the class- room was a most effective introduction to them.... This intro- duction of the essential foods, one by one, involving preparation, discussion, and eating of the food, makes an impression that posters and scrapbooks fail to make. 51
Frenoh Boyd found that in teaching nutrition, stressing food values and the importance of certain foods in the "body had little effect on the
child's food hahits. She obtained better results when Bhe put the cart before the horse, and instead of teaching about food first, she taught ahout growth. All her students were interested in growing. They liked to he weighed and measured, and to show their muscles. They enjoyed
5° Strang and Smiley, op.- £it., p. 222.
51 Ibid., p. 22U. 15.
looking at their nail beds to see if they vere healthy, and they wanted
to feel well at all times. She achieved better results when she tied
these natural interests into her nutrition teaching.
Pazourek stresses the importance of the school lunch. He says
that it provides one of the riohest health teaching situations in the
school, an opportunity which few schools are adequately utilizing. *
Wood believes that by means of the school lunch the child should
form good food habits. He should learn to eat the right kind of food,
and to have some conception of a suitable meal. He should learn to
acquire a taste for various vegetables and fruits, and to eat all the
food on his plate. The influence of the social group is such that he
will often eat at school the food that he refuses at home. 3
These references have applied to the objectives, methods, and
outcomes of nutrition teaching in the primary grades. The present
study sought to conform to the best techniques of teaching as described.
The formation of good eating habits was a major objective of the
teaching done. At all times attempts were made to back up this teaching
by imparting understanding of the reasons for the Importance of these
habits, and by seeking to develop proper attitudes.
5s French Boyd, "The nutritionist at Work," Ration's Schools, XXVII (February, 19*1), 70-71- 55 Leone Pazourek, "The Sohool Lunchroom as a Center for Health Education," ifralth «■"* TttTfiaal Mnowt.lop. XI (December, 19*0), 592-593/
3* Thomas D. Wood, if»»ith Education, p. 176. CHAPTER III
Prooedure
The Subjects. Thia study was undertaken vith a group of thirty first grade children at the Curry School, a demonstration school on the campus of the Wo- man's College of the University of liorth Carolina. In the group there were fourteen hoys and sixteen girls. The ages of these children ranged from six years, one month to seven years, four months with a median of six years, ten months at the time the teaching unit was initiated. Table 1 shows the distribution of ages represented. There were no repeaters in the group. One girl had started in the first grade the year before, but because of very severe burns, she had been forced to drop out and start again this year.
Table 1. Age Distribution of Children ASS. ______Number 6- 6j yrs. 9 6_ - 7 yrs. 13 7 - 7_ yrs. 8
Twenty-eight of the children were given the Stanford-Binet or Kuh1 marrn-Anderson intelligence test by college students under the supervision of their instructor in the mental measurements and child psychology classes. The range of intelligence quotients was from eighty-eight to one hundred forty with a median of one hundred six. Table 2 shows the distribution of intelligence quotients. 17-
Table 2. Distribution of Intelligence Quotients
Intelligence Quotient Number
80-99 6
100- 119 15
120 and above 7
The economic level of the family of each child was classified
acoordlng to the criteria set up by the Psychological Corporation
of New York, which was developed from their long experience in
making market surveys where accurate results depended upon obtaining
a representative sampling of the total population. It was found
that in the average communityjaccording to their criteria.approxi- mately 10 per cent of the homes fell within the A economic group,
30 per cent within the B economic group, kO per cent within the C economic group and 20 per cent within the D economic group. A copy of this form is given in the appendix. A summary of the results of classification according to economic level is given in Table 3.
Table 3. Economio Classification of the Families of the Subjects
Economic Level Number
A 0
B 10
C 11 r 9
1 Wilton P. Chase, Child Study Manual, (Used in the course in child psychology, Woman's College of the University of North Carolina, 19te-19>£.) p. 6. 18.
Methods of Obtaining Data on the Bating Habits of the Subjects.
In order to measure the results of a nutrition teaching program,
It vas first necessary to learn Just what the eating habits of the
children were when they came to school. After the teaching program,
it was necessary to discover what changes, If any, had occurred in
their eating habits. Three methods were used to obtain essential
facts concerning the children's eating habits. They were: first,
interview with child; second, interview with parent; and third, obser-
vation of noon meal at school, it was felt that the use of three
methods would give a check on the accuracy of the information obtained
on each child's eating behavior. Within the first two months of
school the writer interviewed each child individually and obtained reports from each mother.
Initial Interviews With Children.
The interview with the child was conducted In as objective and in-
formal a manner as possible. The subject of eating was brought up
quite naturally because the children knew that the interviewer was
connected with the cafeteria. They had been going there for their
mid-morning lunch each day, and they knew that they were to begin
eating lunch in the cafeteria very soon, so it did not seem unusual
that the interviewer was interested in the kind and amount of foods
which they ate. Most of them talked to her In a very free and
unrestrained manner, which made it fairly easy to obtain information about their food habits. The same type of interviewing was done at the end of the teaching unit to determine what changes had occurred in their eating behavior. The interviews both before and after the teaching unit included the following questions:
1. What did you have for breakfast this morningt 19.
2. IB that what you usually have?
3. Do you like milk?
k. How much milk do you usually drink ©very day?
5. What kind of bread do you like best?
6. Do you eat that kind most of the time?
7. What kinds of fruit do you like most?
8. Do you usually eat some fruit for breakfast?
9- What fruits do you eat at home most of the time?
10. What are your favorite vegetables?
11. Do you like and eat carrots? Cabbage? Turnip greens?
Corn? Tomatoes? Celery? Lettuce? Sweet Potatoes? White
Potatoes? Butter Beans? Green Peae? Black-eyed Peas?
12. Can you name any other vegetables that you eat at home?
13. How often do you eat candy?
Ik. How often do you drink bottle drinks?
15. If you oould have anything you wanted for lunch today,
vhat would it be?
16. What does Mother usually have for you when you are at
home for lunch on Saturdays?
Information from Parents.
After the children had been interviewed, the writer visited the home
of eaoh child, talked with each mother, and asked her cooperation in
helping to obtain accurate information about the present eating habits
of her child. The interviewer explained her position in the school
cafeteria and stated that she was making a study of the eating habits
of the first grade children. She left a blank with each mother to be filled out and returned to school by the child. Most of the parents 20.
ware very responsive and eager to be of any assistance that they could.
Only three failed to return the questionnaire blanks. One of these
was the mother of two children, so there were four children out of
thirty whose parents did not report. A copy of the blank used ie in the appendix.
Observation of Eating Habits in School Cafeteria.
Immediately after the writer had finished interviewing the first grade
children, they began to eat lunch in the school oafeteria. Beginning
then and continuing throughout the time that the teaching program was
going on, and several weeks after, records were kept several days out
of each week of the food left on the plateg' of each child to see if
any improvement oould be detected in their eating habits at lunch.
The Teaching Program.
The nutrition unit was launched the first day of school after the
Christmas holidays. At this time the penny milk program was Just being started at Curry and this proved to be an excellent stimulus to the interest of the children in the importance of milk and other foods. This natural curiosity of the children was utilized as a means of motivating their activities. Although the first hour of the morning from 8:30 to 9:30 was set aside for activities concerned with this unit, it was by no means confined to this time only. It was rather a unit in which integration of many activities through- out the day occurred. Examples of this integration were, painting pictures of cows seen at the dairy farm as a part of art work, learning songs about foods during music period, reading books about foods during reading periods, writing a class diary each day of activities 21.
participated in, and making recipe books as gifts for the mothers.
A detailed day by day account of the unit as it occurred is given
in the appendix. The objectives of the nutrition unit were to estab-
lish in every child the following fundamental habits:
1. Eating a good breakfast every morning before coming to school.
2. Drinking a quart of milk every day and liking it.
3- Eating at least one fresh fruit daily.
k. Eating two vegetables besides potatoes every day including a raw vegetable, if possible.
5. Liking a greater variety of vegetables and fruits than at present.
6. Eating whole grain cereals instead of refined cereals.
A summary of the activities which were carried on throughout the unit are listed below:
1. The children read stories about foods, animals, farms,
grocery stores, and gardens. The bibliography contains a
list of books used by the children.
2. They listened to stories about foods, animals, grocery stores, farms, and gardens.
3- They discussed together the importance of food. They described
their own eating habits from day to day.
k. Pictures and clippings were brought from home about the things discussed at school.
5- Pictures of foods and animals were colored and painted.
6. They planted a vegetable garden.
7. They visited the school cafeteria to see food in preparation.
8. Weight and height records of the children were kept.
, 22.
9- They visited the near-by home of a friend where they saw
kittens, chickens, goats, puppies, and a oalf. They dis-
cussed the food for eaoh of these animals.
10. They visited a dairy farm where they saw cows being milked,
calves, bulls, and the bottling machines in operation. 11. They visited a grocery store.
12. They prepared the following foods: applesauce; baked apples;
fruit gelatin; vegetable soup; whole grain cereals; tossed
green salad; apple, cabbage, and raisin salad; carrot and
celery sticks; baked potatoes; and meat balls.
13- They kept a diary of each day's activities.
Ik. They outfitted a kitchen in one corner of their room for which they made:
a. dish towels, aprons, and a tablecloth,
b. drainboard beside sink,
c. kitchen cabinet.
15- Becipe books were made as gifts for the mothers.
16. A party was given for the mothers. Invitations were made
and brightly colored napkins were prepared for this. A
program was presented which included songs about foods and
a poem about eating breakfast, which was recited and panto-
mimed. The children had made cookies and applesauce which
they served as refreshments. The gift recipe books were
presented to their mothers at this time.
17. A chapel program was presented to inform the rest of the
school what they had learned about foods.
18. For Easter the children chose, instead of an Easter egg 23-
hunt to have a luncheon In their room, the food for whioh they helped prepare.
The Foods Teat.
On March 5 the children were given a simple test on foods by their
teacher. It consisted of making choices between white or brown oread,
an apple or a candy bar, milk or a bottle drink, a good or a poor
breakfast, a good or a poor supper, and marking the number of glasses
of milk they needed every day. A copy of this is in the appendix
with the directions which were given for marking. The children were
told that it was a food game in which the teacher did all the talking
while they listened without speaking. They were cautioned against
looking at any body else's paper, it was felt that they followed these directions well.
Information was obtained after the teaching program about the
eating habits of the children for final evaluation by three methods
similar to those used previously: first, an individual interview
with each child; second, an individual interview with each parent;
and third, continual observation of eating behavior in the sohool cafeteria.
Final Interviews With Children.
The writer's second interview with each ohild was as much like the
first as possible. The same list of questions that had been asked
during the first interview was asked again. The children responded
freely to all questions. Before beginning, the interviewer stated
in an impersonal manner: "I know that you know now what foods you
should eat because we have been talking a great deal about these foods recently. Now, I want you to tell me about the things that 2*.
you really are eating at home whether they are the proper things
or not." It vae believed that in most instances the children vere
truthful as far as they were able to he.
Interviews With Parents.
After the second interview with the children, the writer again
visited each of their homes to interview the mothers. The inter-
view was conducted in the following manner; upon arrival the inter-
viewer greeted the parent and stated briefly the purpose of her visit.
She reminded the parent that she was making a study of the eating habits
of the first grade children, and that she wished to ask some questions
in order to determine the effects of the teaching that had been done.
If possible, at this point she switched the topic of conversation and
for a few minutes talked of other things in order to minimize any
tendency the parent might have to try to claim desirable effects for
her child. At no time did she mention the word "improvement". She
tried to avoid having them realize that that was what she really
desired to find. After a few minutes of informal chatting she began to ask some direct questions about the child's eating habits such as,
"How much milk does Charlotte drink every day? Tell me about the kinds of bread and cereals she eats most often. Have you noticed any changes in the kinds and amounts of fruits or vegetables she eats since she started to school? Has she shown any interest or desire to help you with food at home?" Before going to each house the writer compiled a list of speoific things she wanted to learn about each child from the results of the other three interviews. For example, if the mother had said before that Van did not like lettuoe, the interviewer asked if he now ate lettuce. All parents were cooperative 25- in giving the information desired. It was felt that the information obtained was as reliable as was possible under the circumstances. CHAPTER IV
Results and Discussion
Information Secured From Children and Parents.
In compiling the data obtained from children and parents, the following
definitions of terms were adopted:
An excellent breakfast includes milk, fruit, whole grain cereals plus some other foods for energy.
A good breakfast includes milk plus one of the following combinations| either fruit and cereal; or egg and cereal; or egg and fruit.
A fair breakfast includes either milk or fruit plus some other food to supply calories.
A poor breakfast includes neither milk nor fruit.
An acceptable lunch contains milk and one or more other foods which have appreciable nutritive value.
A non-acceptable lunch contains no milk nor other food with any appreciable nutritive value. An example of this is a hot dog and a bottle drink.
Table k summarizes the information obtained from the children in
the individual interviews before and after the teaching program. The
number and percentage of ohildren reporting each item "before" and
"after" are given, and the difference between these is listed. These
items are tabulated in groups according to the amount or extent of
improvement, as shown by an increase in the number reporting favorable
items and a decrease in the number reporting unfavorable items.
The changes were greatest in the case of milk, with 60 per cent of the children drinking one quart daily after the teaching program as compared with only 7 P©r cent before, an increase of 53 par cent. In 27-
the case of bread, 63 per cent preferred brown to white after the teach-
ing as compared with 13 per cent who preferred it before. This increase
of 50 per cent is paralleled, of course, by a decrease of 50 per cent
in preferences for white bread. The next greatest improvement was shown
in the eating of fruits. Then followed improvement in nutritive value
of imaginary lunches described, and in actual lunches reported eaten at
home. Following that came the report of having eaten an exoellent break-
fast where there was an increase of 27 per cent in the number reporting
an excellent breakfast and a decrease of 20 per cent reporting a poor
breakfast. The percentage of children reporting that they liked the
various kinds of vegetables before the unit ranged from 70 to 93 per
cent for any one vegetable, wherae, with the omission of corn, the range
was 90 to 100 per cent after the unit. The greatest improvements were
shown in the number reporting that they liked and ate carrots, turnip
greene, tomatoes, celery, and butter beans. Lesser improvements were
shown in the number reporting that they liked and ate cabbage and let-
tuce. There was a decrease of 7 per cent in the number reporting that
they liked and ate corn. There waa some decrease reported in the amount
of coffee, tea, candy, and bottle drinks consumed.
Table k. Summary of Data Obtained from Interviews with Children Before After Children Eeporting: Unit Unit Difference Ne. No. NO. 1. That they drank k glasses i of milk daily. 2 7 18 60 16 53 2. That they drank 3 glasses of milk daily. 7 23 9 30 2 7 3. That they drank 2 glasses of milk daily. 8 27 2 7 -6* 20 k. That they drank 1 glass 11 of milk daily. 11 37 1 3 -10 33 28.
Table k. Summary of Data from Interview With Childrenf continued). Before After Children Reporting: Unit Unit Difference No. 56 No. No. 5. That they drank no i milk daily. 2 7 0 0 2 7
6. That they preferred hrown to white bread. k 15 19 63 15 50 7.7 That they preferred white to brown bread. 26 87 11 37 -15 50
8. That they ate three or more fruits at home 9 30 often.** 19 63 10 33 9- That they ate two fruits often at home.** 9 30 10 33 1 3
30. That they ate one fruit 1 at home often.** 15 50 1 3 -Ik V7 1L. That they usually ate fruit for breakfast. 5 17 Ik kl 9 30
32. A description of an acceptable imaginary lunch. 20 67 29 97 9 30 33. A description of an unacceptable imaginary lunch. 10 33 1 3 -9 30 2k. Having eaten an accept- able lunoh at home. 25 77 30 100 7 23 15. Having eaten an unaccept- able lunch at home. 7 25 0 0 -7 23
1 36. Having eaten an excel- j lent breakfast. 2 7 10 33 8 27 1 17. Having eaten a good 1 breakfast. 7 23 9 30 2 7
38. Having eaten a fair breakfast. lk ^7 10 33 -k 13
39. Having eaten a poor breakfast. 7 23 1 3 -6 20 29.
Wi Wi.i_I.U-i. Oil 1 Before After Children Reporting: Unit Unit Difference No. £ Wo. % No. $ 20. That they liked and ate oarrotB 23 77 30 100 7 23 21. That they liked and ate turnip greens 21 70 27 90 6 20 22. That they liked and ate tomatoes 25 83 29 97 h 13 23. That they liked and ate celery 26 87 30 100 * 13 2k. That they liked and ate butter beans 25 83 29 97 ^ 13 25. That they liked and ate cabbage 26 87 28 93 2 7 26. That they liked and ate lettuce 27 90 29 97 2 7 27. That they liked and ate sweet potatoes 28 93 29 97 1 3 28. That they liked and ate black eyed peas 26 87 27 90 1 3 29. That they liked and ate white potatoes 28 93 28 93 0 0 30. That they liked and ate corn 27 90 25 83 -2 7
31. That they ate candy often 8 27 3 10 -5 -17 32. That they ate candy occasionally 19 63 12 kO -7 23
33• That they drank tea or coffee often 6 20 0 0 -6 20 34. That they drank tea or coffee occasionally 1 3 0 0 -1 3 30. Table k. Bunroiry of Data from Interviews With Children (continued) Before After Children Reporting Unit Unit Difference Wo. f No. ft No. f 35. That they drank bottle drinks often 2 7 27 36. That they drank bottle drinks occasionally 2k 80 20 67 -k 13
* Minus sign denotes decrease in number. ** Incomplete information but approximately accurate. Table 5 summarizes In the same way the information obtained from parents by means of a written questionnaire and interviews. The changes noted were greatest in the case of bread. There were 63 per cent who reported that their children preferred brown to white bread after the teaching program, as compared with 13 per cent who preferred it before, an increase of 50 per cent. The next greatest improvements were shown in the eating of fruits and vegetables where there was an increase of 23 per cent in the number of parents reporting that their children ate a large amount and a wide variety of these foods. Smaller improvements were shown in the increase in number reporting that their children drank one quart of milk daily after the teaching program; in the decrease in number reporting that their children drank tea or coffee often; in the deorease in the number reporting that their children ate sweets often and drank bottle drinks often. It is noteworthy that the improvement reported in the case of bread by both children and parents is identical. There is also a marked similarity in the improvement reported by both parents and children in the following items: in the eating of fruits, the former reported improvement of 23 per cent whereas the latter re- ported 33 per cent; in the frequent drinking of coffee or tea the former reported an improvement of 17 per cent, the latter 20 per cent; 31.
in the case of eating sweets often, 13 per cent and 17 per cent respec- tively.
Table 3. Summary of Data Obtained from Parenta Parent* Beporting That Before After " Their Children: ^ "J! Difference $°L 1 No. I No. % 1. Prefer brown to white bread k 13 19 63 15 50
2. Prefer white to brown bread 26 87 11 37 .15 50
3. Eat a large amount of fruit and like a wide variety 17 57 2k 80 7 23 k. Eat a small amount of fruit and like a email variety 13 ^3 6 20 -7 23
5- Eat a large amount of vege- tables and like a wide variety 17 57 23 77 7 23 6. Eat a small amount of vege- tables and like a HIMII variety 13 43 . 2? -6 20
7- Drink k or more glasses of milk daily 12 Is 17 57 5 17 8. Drink 3 glasses of milk daily 7 23 9 30 2 7 9- Drink 2 glasses of milk daily 8 27 1 3 -7 23
10. Drink 1 glass of milk daily 3 10 3 10 0 0
11. Drink tea or coffee often 7 23 2 7 -5 17 12. Drink tea or coffee occasionally 1 3 1 13 3 10
13- Eat sweets often—candy, cake, pastries 10 33 6 20 -4 13 Ik. Eat sweets occasionally 1 cake, oaady, pastry k 13 3 10 -1 3 32.
Table ■>. Jmma <* Data Obtained from Parents (continual Parents Reporting That Before AfteT Their Children; rwt SJ* ««** 2°^ I No. g DifferenceNol £ 15. Drink bottle drinks often 27 13 -13 16. Drink bottle drinks occasionally 7 23 6 20 -1
In the final Interview with each mother, she was asked if she
noticed any changes in her child's eating habits — m amounts or
kinds of food eaten — since he started to school. The following table summarizes their reports: Number Per Cent 1. Has improved in eating habits markedly since coming to school 10 33 2. Has improved some in eating habits since coming to school 17 57 3- Has not improved in eating habits since coming to school 3 10
The fact that the children reported greatest improvements in their
milk consumption and preference for brown instead of white bread, and
the parents reported greatest improvement in the latter may be explained
partially by the fact that milk and bread usually appear at each meal,
and are very definite experiences which call to the mind of a child
certain pictures. In contrast to this, fruits and vegetables appear
less often in a day's diet and in varied forme. Their names are more
vague and do not bring to the mind any one definite mental picture.
This may be one reason that more decided improvements were shown in the
cases of milk and bread than in fruits and vegetables.
The criteria listed below were used in evaluating the daily dietary habits of the children according to information obtained from children 33. and parents both before and after the teaching program. In each classiflca- tion the first criterion refers to milk, the second to common sources of ascorbic acid, the third to other fruits, and so on.
Excellent
1. Has 3-4 glasses of milk daily. 2. Has one or more servings of orange, grapefruit, tomato, or raw green vegetables dally. 3- Has 1 or more servings of other fruit, raw or cooked dally. 1*. Has at least 1 serving of green or yellow vegetables daily. 5- Has 2 other vegetables daily. 6. Has 1 or more serving of meat, fish, chicken or satisfactory alternate daily.* 7- Has 2 or more servings of whole grain oereals daily. 8. Eats breakfast regularly including milk, fruit, whole grain cereal plus some other energy food. 9- Eats three full meals daily. Cleans plate at each meal without playing with food. 10. Likes to try new foods. Has few food dislikes. 11. In-between meal eating is restricted to simple foods such as fruit, bread, or milk. 12. Drinks no coffee or tea.
Good
1. Has 3 glasses of milk daily. 2. Has 1 serving of orange, grapefruit, tomato, or raw green vegetable daily. 3- Has 1 serving of other fruit, raw or cooked daily. 4. Has 1 serving of green or yellow vegetables daily. 5. Has 1 other vegetable daily. 6. Has 1 serving of meat, fish, chicken or some satisfactory alternate daily 7- Has 2 servings of whole grain or enriched oereals dally. 8. Eats breakfast regularly Including milk plus one of the following combinations: either fruit and cereal; or egg and cereal: or egg and fruit. 9- Eats 3 meals daily. Usually cleans plate, but sometimes leaves small portions of food. 10. Will try new foods, Has few food dislikes. 11. In-between meal eating is usually restricted to fruit, bread, or milk. 12. Drinks no coffee or tea.
Fair
1. Has 2 glasses of milk daily. 2. Has 1 serving of orange, grapefruit, tomato, or raw green vege- tables daily. 3- Has 1 serving of other fruit, raw or coked 3-4 times weekly. 4. Has 1 serving of green or yellow vegetables 3-4 times weekly. 5- Has 1 other vegetable 3-4 times weekly. 6. Has 1 serving of meat, fish, chicken or some satisfactory alternate 3*. daily.* 7. Has 1 earring of whole grain or enriohed cereal dally. 8. Bate breakfast regularly including fruit or milk plus some other energy foods. 9- Has three meals daily, is prone to leave foods fairly often. 10. Does not welcome new foods. Has some pronounced food dislikes. 31. Sometimes has candy, other sweet foods, and hottle drinks in between meals. 12. Drinks no coffee or tea.
Poor
Does not meet standards classified as fair in any of the ways listed.
♦Eggs, legumes, or nuts in appreciable amount were accepted as satisfactory alternates.
Each child was checked on the above twelve criteria according to both
his and his parent's reports before and after the teaching program. The
complete picture of his daily dietary habits was studied carefully, and
judged as excellent, good, fair, or poor, with greater weight being given to
the items concerned more with quality of food consumed than to the items
concerned less with quality. Examples of how this was done was shown in the
following scoring charts:
Child Number Five Before Unit Child Number Five After Unit Report of Parent Report of Child Report of Parent Report of Child Criteria Judged as: " ~—
■" none E- none E- none E- none
G" 9, 10 G- 2, 8, 9 G- 2, k, 5, 6 G- 2, 1*, 5, 9, 10
F- 2, k, 5, 6 F- 3, 5, 6, 10 F- 1, 3, 8, 10 F- l, 3, 6
P- 1, 3, 7, 8, P- 1, k, 7, 11 P- 7, 11, 12 p- 7, 8, 11, 12 11, 12 12 > > > Judged to be on the whole: Poor Poor Poor Fair 35.
Child Humber Four Before Unit Child Number Four After Unit Report of Parent Report of Child Report'of Parenr Beport^of"child Criteria Judged as:
E E 5 E " \' fi '*> " h ' k> *•» " 1> 2> 3> *» E- 1, 2, 3, k, 5, 6, 11, 12 6, 12 5, 6, 11, 12 6, 11, 12
G- 5, 7, 9 G- 8, 9, 11 0- 7, 8, 9 G- 7, 8, 9 F- 8 f- 1, 7, 10 F- 10 F- 10
P- 10 P- none P- none P- none Judged to be on the whole: Good Good Excellent Excellent
I- Excellent; G- Good; F- Fair; P-Poor
Child Number Five vae placed in the "poor" classification according to his and hie mother' a reports before the teaching unit because al- though he rated "good" on the items concerned with trial of new foods, number of foods disliked and the eating of three full meals daily, he rated "poor" or "fair" on the points concerned with consumption of milk, fruits, vegetables, and whole grain cereals, which were considered to be more Important. At the final interview with both parent and child, they reported improvements in his eating of these foods, so he was rated "fair" at that time.
In contrast to this is the case of Child Humber Four, whose daily dietary habits were considered "good" according to his and his mother's report before the teaching program, although he scored"fair" or "poor" on the item concerned with trial of new foods, and having decided food dislikes, but scored *good" or "excellent" on the items concerned with consumption of milk, fruits, and vegetables. At the final interview with both parent and child, they reported that he had improved in hie eating of whole grain cereals and in his attitudes toward new foods, 36.
and that he had overcome his dislikes for certain foods; therefore
he was rated as excellent at that time.
Compilation Table 1, which is in the appendix, presents the
ratings given each child before and after the teaching program
according to both his and his parents' reports, and Table 6 sum-
marizes these classifications for the group. A comparison of
ratings of dietary habits based on parents' reports before and
after the teaching program shows an increase of JO per cent in the
number rated excellent. A similar comparison of ratings based on
children's reports shows an increase of 37 per cent. Likewise a
deorease of 17 per cent and 27 per cent respectively is shown in
ratings of dietary habits classified as poor. The median change shown
in both parents' and children's reports was from one category to
the next best; i. e., from poor to fair, fair to good, or good to
excellent. Twenty ratings, according to children's reports, were
improved one category, and six-teen ratings, according to parents'
reports were improved one category. Thus the vast majority, accord-
ing to both reports, improved by one category. There is a marked simi- larity in the percentages cited between parents' and children's reports.
Throughout this study the discrepancies in reports of children and
parents were carefully noted, and in general a good agreement was
found. The percentage of agreement of the classification of the daily dietary habits based on the parents' reports with that based on the children's reports was found to be 50 per cent before the teaching program and U7 per cent after. Considering that the percentage of agreement whioh would probably occur by chance is only 25 per cent, 37.
this is exceptional. Also there were only two reports "before" and
one "after" which were not within one category of each other in the
classification; i. e., these reports showed a wide discrepancy between
reports of children and parents. On the whole the children tended to
report greater improvements than did the parents.
No doubt, there exists on the part of parents and children a
tendency to exaggerate in their statements in order to make a favorable
impression. Attempts were made to hold this factor to a minimum, and
it was controlled somewhat by the fact that it was likely to have been
present in both initial and final interviews. Therefore, it was felt
that the improvement in food habits which we were most interested in
detecting would not be so greatly affected by this tendency of the
parents and children to stretch the truth. It was believed, however,
that in the case of the children, probably the second interview was
a less reliable reflection of their food habits than the first,since
they knew more at that time and were anxious to please the interviewer.
Nevertheless, the fact that they were able to give the approved responses at the final interview indicates learning.
Table 6. Summary of Classification of Daily Dietary Habits of Children According to Reports from Individual Children and Parents Before Unit After Unit Difference Report from: Parents Children Parents Children Parents Children Rated as No. % No. # No. $ No. % No. j> No. $
Excellent 2 7 0 0 11 37 11 37 9 30 11 37
Good 15 ^3 7 23 11 37 Ik 1*7 -2 7 7 23 Fair 8 27 15 50 6 20 5 17 -2 7 -10 33
Poor 7 23 8 27 2 7 0 0 -5 17 8 27 38.
Becords on Consumption of Lunch at School.
The records of the lunches eaten by the children in the school cafe-
teria were analyzed and placed in three categories for three periods:
before, during,and after the teaching program. Six lunches for every
child for each of these periods, vere selected at random and were
studied and classified as either good, fair, or poor. The child's
lunch was considered good when he cleaned his plate and drank all of
his milk; fair when he left only small portions of food; or poor
when he left large portions of food. Compilation Table 2, which is in
the appendix, shows the classification of each individual child
according to his school lunch eating habits before, during, and after
the teaching program, and Table 7 summarizes these ratings. The im-
provement evidenced by this table is perhaps due partly to the fact
that as time passed the children became accustomed to the food served
them in the cafeteria, because there vas naturally a great deal of
repetition of menus served. However, it is believed that the increase
of 30 per cent more children who ate good lunches and the decrease of
30 per cent less who ate poor lunches after the teaching program than
before the teaching program shows a greater improvement than would
have followed from the operation of that factor only. The median lunch
before the teaching program was "fair" with more in the "poof group than
in the ■good"group; whereas the median lunch after the teaching program was "good" with more in the "fair" group than in the "poor" group.
The Foods Test.
The children did very well on the foods test which was given them after the nutrition unit. Twenty-five of them or 83 per cent marked their 59.
papers perfectly, and three others had all answers correct except that
they marked three glasses of milk Instead of four as their daily need.
Child Number Thirteen chose the poor breakfast and omitted the question
which asked for a choice between a glass of milk and a bottle drink.
Child Number Four chose the poor breakfast and marked only two glasses of milk.
Table 7. Summary of Evaluation of Children's Lunches Eaten in School Cafeteria Before During After Difference in Number of Children who: Unit Unit Unit Before & After No • * No. f No. f, No. % Ate good lunches 9 50 16 55 18 60 9 50
Ate fair lunches 8 27 9 50 8 27 0 0 Ate poor lunches 13 *5 5 17 * 15 9 50
Eelationehip Between Economic Level and Improvement of Eating Habits In order to determine if there were any relationship between economio
level and improvement of eating habits, a comparison was made of these
two things. The two children who were rated "excellent" according to
their mothers • reports before the teaching program were eliminated from
the comparison because there was no room for them to improve. One of
these was in economic group B, and one in group C. Likewise, four
children in group B, three in group C, and two in group D were elimi-
nated from the comparison of the improvement in school lunch eating
habits with economic levels. In Table 8 this comparison is shown.
The greatest improvements according to reports of parents and of chil - dren, and observation of school lunch, took place in the children in B economic group. There is a direct relationship between economio status and amount of improvement shown in reports of children and in school lunch eating habits. The same trend is evidenced in parents* reports ko.
in that the B group shows greater improvement than the C or D group.
Tahle 8. Relationship between Improvement in Eating Habits and Economic Statue. Economic Parents Children's Observation of Level Report. Report School Loach Could Lid Could Lid Could Lid Improve Improve Improve Improve Improve Improve No. No. No. # No. No. # No. No.
C 11 10 6 60 11 10 91 7 7 100 L 9 9 6 67 9 8 89 7 5 71
Relationship Between Intelligence Quotients and Improvements in Eating Habits.
Likewise, to see if there were any relationship between intelligence quotients and improvements in eating habits, a comparison of the two was made. As was done in compiling Table 8, the two children who were rated "excellent" according to their mothers' reports before the teaching program were eliminated from the comparison. Both of these had intelligence quotients falling in the range from 100-119. Similarly, one child with an intelligence quotient in the group ranging from
80-99> six children with intelligence quotients in the group ranging from 100-119; and two children with intelligence quotients in the group ranging from 120 and above were eliminated from the comparison between improvement in school lunch eating habits with intelligence quotients because they were rated "good" at first. Table 9 presents this comparison. The greatest improvements according to reports of parents and children, and observations of school lunches took place in the children with intelligence quotients ranging from 120 and 41.
above. There is a direct relationship between intelligence and amount
of improvement evidenced in reports of parents. In the children's re-
ports the greatest proportion of change was shown in the lowest and
highest groups. In the observation of the school lunch this was true
also, except that the highest group in intelligence showed the greatest
proportion of improvement. There may be a direct relationship between
intelligence and improvement which is obscured by the small numbers in the groups.
Table 9. Relationship between Improvement in Sating Habits and Intelligence ijuotlents . Intelligence Parents' Childre"nTs Observation of Quotient Reports Reports School Lunch Could " Did" Could Did Could Did ___ improve Improve Improve Improve Improve Improve No. No. No. % No. No. % No. No. % 120 and above 7 7 5 71 7 7 100 5 5 100
100 - 119 15 13 9 69 15 13 87 9 6 67
80-99 6 6 U 67 6 6 100 5 80
Studies with older groups which are being currently conducted seem to indicate that increased knowledge of nutrition facts can favorably influence eating habits, but that several factors interfere with 100 per cent improvement. The most important of these factors appear to be low economic status and failure to recognize need of change in established eating habits. With a first grade group there is likely to be greater improvement observed because eating habits are not as firmly established.
However, at this level lack of interest on the part of the parents as well as low economic status may become a hindrance to improvement of eating habits. CHAPTER Y
Some Striking Chafes OcWng^lnJSatlng Habits of individual Children
As a matter of Interest, the following oases of specific changes
in eating habits of individual children are cited. The fact that these
improvements actually took place was evidenced by reports from both
parents and children as well as by the observation of their lunch period in the school cafeteria.
Child Number Six has increased hie consumption of milk, now eats
more whole grain cereals, eats a greater variety and quantity of fruits,
and has learned to like carrots. He previously preferred white bread,
but now eats brown bread altogether. He enjoys helping his mother with
food at home. He likes to feel that he is setting a good example for
his younger brothers in his eating habits.
Child Number Seven has increased the amount of milk she drinks and
the quaatity and variety of fruits she likes and eats, and has learned
to like tomatoes. She drinks fewer bottle drinks than previously, and
she has improved markedly in her attitude toward new foods.
Child Number Ten and Child Number Eleven, who are twine, both drank
coffee every morning for breakfast previously but now drink milk instead.
Both of these children have Increased their consumption of milk, eat leea
candy and more fruit, and now eat a greater variety of vegetables than
before the teaching program. The former has learned to like tomatoes.
Child Number Fifteen has increased the amount of milk she drinks, has learned to like carrots, and has Improved in eating green leafy vegetables, which she previously disliked. She now eats whole wheat 43.
bread, whereas she formerly liked only white. She baked apples and out carrot strips at home.
Child Number Nineteen is reported by his mother to have an increased
appetite since Christmas. He now eats a greater variety of vegetables
them formerly. He eats brown bread, whereas he did not like it before.
He would not eat mixed green salad in the school cafeteria before the
teaching unit, but during and after, he did eat it His mother reported
that he had made it at home and she believed that he liked the salad
now "because he knows what foods go in it and that it is not Just a conglomeration of stuff."
Child Number Twenty-one doubled her consumption of milk; i.e.,
increased the number of glasses drunk daily from two to four, and
learned to like turnip greens. Her mother reported before the teach-
ing program that fairly often she would suddenly lose her appetite at
meal times for no apparent reason. At the final interview with the
mother, she reported that this tendency has been overcome to a great • extent.
An interesting story was told by Child Number Twenty-three's
mother of an incident that took place at the supper table about three
months after Christmas. It seemed that it was the custom in this family
to serve at all meals both brown and white bread,because the mother pre-
ferred brown whereas the father and children preferred white. Child
Twenty-three had previously eaten only white bread, but several weeks after the nutrition unit began at school, she started eating brown al- together. On this evening the older daughter happened to ask the mother what kind of bread was best for them to eat. The mother answered, 44.
"Brown tread," whereupon the child very quickly stated in an authori- tative tone, "That's right.'" "What kind of milk le test, white or chocolate?" asked the sister. The mother replied, "White". "That's right," said Charlotte again. CHAPTER VI
Sugmg£y_1_Conclusions and Rflcnmmmi^t^^.
The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of a nutrition
program on the eating habits of a group of first grade children. In-
formation was obtained about the eating habits of these children, prior
to the teaching program, by individual interviews with the children and
questionnaires returned by the parents. Becorde were kept of the way
these children ate lunch in the school cafeteria before, during, and
after the teaching. The nutrition unit was taught by the regular first
grade teacher in cooperation with the home economics teacher. It in-
cluded many activities of various kinds. A pencil and paper test was
given to the children after the unit to be certain that they had learned
the difference in good and poor eating habits. Immediately' following
the test, information was secured concerning the food habits of the
children again, in order to evaluate any changes which had occurred.
This was done by interviewing both parents and children individually.
A comparison of the information secured from these sources before and
after the teaching program was made to see what changes had taken place
in the food habits. Improvements were reported by both parents and
children, and the validity of these improvements was supported by
favorable changes observed in the school cafeteria.
This study has demonstrated:
A. that a group of first grade children such as this one can profit
from a nutrition unit in the following ways:
1. by increasing their knowledge of what foods are approved and why; 46.
2. by improving the quantity and variety of food eaten at school lunch;
3. hy improving daily dietary hahite as reported by parents and children;
B. that individuals in a first grade group can profit from a nutrition unit in the following vaysj
1. by improving the dietary habits of some of them markedly;
2. by improving the dietary habits of others to some extent;
C. that a better than chance agreement can be obtained between parents'
and children's reports of eating habits ae given in individual interviews;
D. that the higher the economic levels of the families and probably
also the higher the intelligence quotients of the children the
greater the number who will show improvement.
In concluding this study, the writer offers the following recom- mendations :
1. That a program in nutrition teaching be inaugurated in the primary grades, in which many activities, including the actual handling of foods under supervision, be carried on.
2. That the lunch hour for young children at school be carefully supervised. Children should never be nagged or begged to eat, but very young ones often need reminding that they are supposed to be eating a meal.
3- Young children should not be allowed a wide variety of choices of foods for their school lunch. They should be required to choose between groups of food, rather than be allowed to make a 47.
a capricious selection of individual items. An example of this is
letting them choose whether they will have a vegetable plate and milk;
or vegetable soup, a meat or cheese sandwich, and milk.
k. While the agreement of parents' and children's reports is
substantial, it is far from perfect. Therefore, the writer believes that a good method in attempting to evaluate children'e eating habit. is to check one report by the other and when possible to observe their actual eating habits. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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55. Lower, Mary Eleanor. "The School Lunch as a Supplement to the Home MeWGrade Children," Child Development,P|l (September! 55),
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61. Martin, Mrs Ethel Austin. "Food Selection for Health," Nation's Schools, XXTV (October, 1939), 62-66. ~
62. Maxey, Thelma. "Growth and Nutrition," The Grade Teacher, LX (November, 1942), 40. ——
63. Mays, Arthur Beverly. "The Praotical Arts and Integration of the Curriculum," Sohool Review, XU (January, 1933), 51-55. 51.
6k. Mevee, BWM E. and Tryon, Helen L. "Home Arts in the Integrated Program in the Elementary Schools," Practical Home Economics. XV (October, 1937), 355. ~~ ——'
65. Miller, Ellen. "Home Economics in the United States in Elementary Ko-Sl' Journal of Home Economics. XXXI (September, 1939),
66. Milner, Eloyse Sargent.n "Health Program Centers on Food," Nation's Schools, XXIII (February, 1939), 68-70.
67. Minor, Ruby. Early Childhood Eduoation. Nev York: D. Appleton Century Company, I937.
68. Moore, Frank C. "Why Have A Lunchroom," Nation's Schools. XXIII (April, 1939), 7U.
69. Morgan, Agnes Fay. "How Schools Improve the Nutrition of Pupils?" Journal of Home Economics. XXXIV (December, 19^2), 721-726.
70. ^^.N^ition Conference for Defense. Proceedings. Washington, v. o.. united States Government Printing Office, 1S&2. 71. Nyswander, Dorothy. "The Part of Home Economics In the School Health Program," Journal of Home Economics. XXX (October,
72. O'Neill, Florence. "Curriculum Building in Health Education," Health and Physical Education, IX (April, 1938), 212-213.
73 • Outline for the Teaching of Nutrition and Health in the Elementary Grades. Detroit, Miclugan: Merrill-Palmer School, 1928 7^. Patty, Willlard Walter. Teaching Health and Safety In Elementary Grades. New York: Prentice-Hall, Incorporated, 19ho. 75- Paul, Iva. "Spring Gardening in the Schoolroom," Childhood Education, XIV (April, 1938), 366-368. ~~
76. Pfaffmann, Mary and Stern, Frances. How to Teach Nutrition to Children. New York: M. Barrows and Company, Incorporated, 19^2.
77- Perry, Leland. "Your Nutrition Program," The Grade Teacher, LX (September, 19^2), 50-51.
78. Pazourek, Leone. "The School Lunchroom as a Center for Health Education," Health and Physical Education,XI (December, 194oK 592-593. 79- Peterson, Agnes B. "Food Habits of Sixth and Seventh Grade Children in Ten Elementary Schools of Chicago," Research Quarterly, IX (December, 1938), 75-80. 52. 80. ^S^ ?fTa Y* ^ J°ne8' ^ Cover- BThe Observations of Kits in Young Children," Childhood Education, VTT (September, 1930), 14-17. ' 81. Be8I! 8' G*ace 2^^er- "Home Living Problems," Journal of Home Economics,n XXX (May, 1938), 289-292. ^SE 82. Ren r Br 0ur rult Ve Grade^ ;TeacherT' , ^J- LX (September, " * 1942), "■ 38.6»table Market," The— 83. SODe EffeCt8 f a Flve Yoar ""SSLS^Experiment Sponsored 2S2\ by "a Private Social ° Agency in a DevelopmentalPublic Jourml ISS05. of ErDerimflnt.a1 TM,,,.,^^^ (jun6) 1Ql^
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85. Nutrition Work With Children. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, I935T
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89. * Teaching Nutrition to Boys and Girls. New York: MacMlllan and Company, 1932. °
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91. Feeding Our Teeth. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1938.
92. Our Cereals. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1938.
93- Vegetables To Help Us Grow. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, I938.
94. Rugen, Mabel E. "Needed Curriculum Revision in the Field of Health Education," Health and Physical Education. XI (November, 1940), 532-535.
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97. Smi ET lyn Lea nln ^T ? - " r 8 From the Lunchroom." Nation's Schools. XXIII (Merch,1939), 70-72. '
98. Smith, Helen Norman and Coops, Helen Leslie. Physical and Health Education. Kev York: American Book Company, I93B.
99. Spafford, Ivol. A Functioning Program of Home Economics. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Incorporated, 191*0. "~~ 100. Vvrll^eTt^tli* the Elenentary Leve1'" Sducail^, LTI
101. "The Meaning of Integration for Home Eooncmics," Journal of Home Economics, XXVTTT (May, 1936), 296-300.
102. Spencer, Charles E.and Brown, Olive Duncan. Physical and Health Education for Elementary and Secondary s^™i «■ Raleigh, North Carolina: State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1940. 103. Spock, Benjamin. "Poor Appetite In Infancy," Child Study, XVIII (November, 1940), 5-7. ~ ^
104. Stone, Harriet. "Nutrition In The Classroom," Health and Physical Education, XII (November, 194l), 504-505, 531-535!
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106. Stone, James G. "Getting the Most out of Health Eduoation Tools," Journal of American Dietetics Association, XVI (April, 1940). 329-334.
107. Strang Euth May. "Three E's for Health Habits," Health and Physi- cal Education, VIII (September, 1937), 411-412. —
108. Strang, Euth May,and Smiley, Dean Franklin. The Bole of the Teacher In Health Eduoation. New York: The MacMillan Company, 194l.
109. Sullivan, Frances. "Cafeteria Must Teach," Nation's Schools, XXIX (June, 1942), 47-48. t no. Sweeny, Mary. "Changing Food Habits," Journal of Home Economics. XXXIV (September, 1942), 457-462. ~~"~ ~ ill. Tabor, Marjorie, "Home and Farm Life: A Unit of Work in First Grade," Educational Method, XVI (November, 1936), 75-77.
112. Turner, Clalr Elmere. Principles of Health Education. Boston: D. C. Heath and Company, 1939- :*.
113. United States. Department of Agriculture. Food And Life. Year- book of Agriculture. Washington, D. C: United Statee Govern- ment Printing Offioe, 1939.
Van Liew, Marian S. "Home Economics in an Integrated Program," Educational Method. XV (January, 1936), 205-208.
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B. Books used by the ohildren.
1. Aldis, Dorothy. Here, There and Everywhere. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1956.
2. Andreas, Annie Laura and Julia E Dickson. Summer gun. New York- Ginn and Company, 1932.
5- Ayer, Jean Young. All Day Long. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, I938.
k. Beaty, John Yocum. Story Pictures of Our Neighbors. Chicago- Beckley-Cardy Company, 1938.
5. Story Pictures of Farm Foods. Chicago: Beckley-Cardy Company, 1941.
6. Bryce, Catherine Turner and Hardy, Rose LeeB. Good Times. New York: Newson and Company, 1927.
7. Playtime. New York: Newson and Company, 1927.
8. Buckingham, Burdette Boss and Buckingham, Bertha. Play Days. New York: Ginn and Company, 193U.
9- Charters, Werrett Wallace and others. From Morning Till Night, New York: The MaoMillan Company, 1937^
10. De Angeli, Marguerite. Ted and Nina C,o to the Grocery Store. New York: Douhleday, Doran and Company, 1936.
11. Dopp, Katherine Elizabeth and others. Little FrlandB At School. New York: Rand McNally and Company, 1935~ ~~
12. Dearborn, Blanche J. Country Days. New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1931.
13- English, Mildred and Alexander, Thomas. Jo Boy. Richmond, Virginia: Johnson Publishing Company, 1935. lU. Good Friends. Richmond, Virginia: Johnson Publishing Com- pany, 1935
15- Gates, Arthur Irving and Huber, Mrs. Miriam. Peter and Peggy. New York: MaoMillan Company, 1931.
16. Gray, William Scott and others. We Come and Go. Chicago; Scott, Forearn and Company, 19^0.
17- Hader, Berta. The Farmer in the Dell. New York: MacMUlan Company, 1931. 66.
18. Hai935"!Ulia Leth8ld* ^nrday Fun. Houghton, Miff 1 in Company,
19. ""S^lSSl SaUy Md Bl11^' Chi0ae°« «h«l«r Publishing
20. Huber, Mrs. Miriam. Skags, the Milk Horse. Chioagoi Anerioan nook Company, 1931. 21. Hy^?;.nftf? Wa!ia!nL/,ind gga B°ok- Ch«P«l Hill, North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press, 1934.
22. Leavell, Ullin Whitley and others. Ben and Alice. Chicagoi Amer- iean Book Company, 1935. "
23. Martin, Cora M. At the Farm. New Yorki Charles S. Scribner and Sons, 1930.
24. Miller, Jane. To Market We Go. New Yorkt Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1935.
25. Read, Helen B. Mr. Brown's Grocery Store. New Yorki Charles S. Scribner and Sons, 1928.
26. —— Grandfather's Farm. New Yorki Charles S. Scribner and Sons. 1928.
27. Smith, Nila Banton. At Home and Away. New Yorkt Silver Burdett and Company, 1935.
28. In City and Country. New Yorkt Silver Burdett and Company—, 1656. * 29. Tippett, James Sterling. Henry and the Garden. New Yorkt World Book Company, 1936.
30. f I Live in a City. New Yorkt Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1927.
31. f Stories About Henry. New Yorkt World Book Company, 1936. 32. * The Singing Farmer. New Yorkt World Book Company, 1927.
33. Towse, Anna Bernedetta and Gray, William Soott. Health Stories. Chicagot Soott, Forsam and Company, 1933.
34. nhite, Margaret L. and Hanthorn, Alice. Our Friends at Home and School. Chicagot American Book Company, 1930.
35. Zirbes, Laura and Wesley, Marian J. Workers. Meadville, Pennsylvaniat Keystone View Company, 1928. APPENDIX FIRST GRADE NUTRITION UNIT
Tuesday, January 5, 1943
Since the penny milk program was just feeing etarted at Curry, Mr.
Brimley, principal of Curry school, came to the first grade room to
explain to the children the details and general purpose of the new system.
About ninety per cent of these children preferred chocolate milk to white
milk, but with penny milk the sale of the former was being discontinued.
Mr. Brimley explained that since white milk is better for them than choco-
late, the latter was not included. They wondered why milk is important
enough for so many people to be concerned about their drinking it. Real-
izing that there must be something especially significant about milk if
the government and other agencies were willing to pay part of the expenses
so that they would buy it for a penny, they decided that they would try to
find out more about milk. When they discussed how they would go about
finding out these things, one ohild suggested that they ask someone who
had studied about foods and would know. They decided that the echool cafe-
teria directors would know, and one child was appointed to go and ask one
of them to please oome the next morning to tell the class some things about milk and to bring any pictures that she might have which would help to explain the importance of milk.
Wednesday, January 7, 19I+3
Miss Outlaw collected various milk pictures and went as requested to the first grade room. The children explained to her why they were inter- i ested and asked if she would tell them why so many people thought it was important that they drink milk. She told them that building their bodies was like building a house because there must be special kinds of materials -2-
to build certain parts. She explained that einoe the materials from which
our bodies are built come from the foode we eat, we muet all be very oareful
to eat the right foodB beoause we want our bodies to be strong and healthy.
Milk is one of our most important building foods because it has in it a
substance which our bodies need to build our bones and our teeth. While
she showed the pictures of children drinking milk other points were brought
out: that sunshine is needed by our bodies in order that the substance in
milk may be used, and that cod liver oil, whioh we often take in the winter
when we can not get enough sunshine, is a kind of "bottled sunshine." A
few of the children said they were taking cod liver oil now. Miss Outlaw
asked if any of the children knew how much milk they needed every day.
One ohild said, "One quart.'"; but when the question was asked, "How many
glasses are there in a quart?" there were many guesses. Miss Cooper, their
teacher, suggested that since they were not sure, it would be interesting
the next day actually to measure the number of glasses in a quart to see
for themselves.
Thursday, January 7, 19^3
Two children were delegated to help Miss Outlaw bring the quart milk bottle and the glasses needed for the demonstration this morning. Before the measuring was done, Miss Cooper asked several children how many glasses they thought were in a quart of milk. Many answers were given, and all the children were very interested in learning the correct number. They all watched eagerly while the bottle was being filled, and counted each glass as it was poured in—one, two, three, four. A child then poured four full glasses from the bottle. The children then discussed how much milk they had been drinking. Many questions were asked such as, "Barbara, if you drink one glass of milk for breakfast, and one glass here at school, -3- how many more do you need the rest of the day at hornet"
Later the children decided that they would like to plant a garden
and grov some real vegetables for themselves. Several children volunteered to bring seed catalogues the next day.
Friday, January 8, I9J+3
The unit had been named "Learning About Foods" because the children
decided that they vented to find out all they could about foods. They had
been bringing food pictures, but today there were more than ever. There
were two seed catalogues, also. In one book on gardening which was brought,
a picture of a box ready for planting vegetables inside the house was dis-
cussed, and they said they would like to try that. They enjoyed looking
at the colorful pictures of the vegetables in the seed catalogues. Two
children were appointed to go to the cafeteria to see if there were any
empty boxes which they might use for indoor planting.
Mies Cooper had some new pictures to show of foods. First, she held
up a picture of "A Good Breakfast" and talked about the importance of
eating fruit for breakfast. Children named various fruits they had been
eating as part of their breakfasts. Next, they looked at a picture of "A
Good Dinner". They named the foods in the picture: meat, baked potato, cabbage, carrots, whole wheat bread, butter, and milk. "The Good Supper" consisted of a poached egg on whole wheat toast, spinach, stewed apricots, and milk. ,
One child had brought a picture of some cows at a dairy farm. Miss
Cooper told them about her trip to a dairy farm several years before. She described the precautions that were taken for cleanliness there. Several children told of visits in the country where they had seen cows.
Mies Cooper gave each child a picture sheet which was to be made into a booklet. This sheet had the following picturea to be colored: 1. rabbita eating vegetablee, 2. horaea eating fruit, 3. kittena drinking milk, h. duck8 bathing, 5. calvee and cove drinking milk, 6. lamba playing in the sunahine,
7. chickena going to bed early, 8. puppiea with atrong teeth.
The children read theae captione. On the back were atoriee about each picture. They began work on theae and took them hone to be finiehed.
Monday, January 11, 191*3
v)US For the two new pupila who had »et entered that morning, and the children who were abaent the previoua week Miss Cooper aaked aeveral chil- dren to summarize the plena that they had made. Theae children described the vegetable garden they wanted to plant and explained how aome planta must be atarted in boxee ineide the house during the winter.
One child auggeated that they go to a dairy farm and aek queatione in order to find out some other things about milk. Miss Cooper aaked how else they might find out about foode, and auggested that they write down some plans. The children suggested the following things, which she wrote on the board:
1. Go to the cafeteria kitchen. 2. Go to a dairy.
: 3. Go to a grocery store.
k. Ask questions of various people: a. a farmer. -5- b. gardeners -
o. food specialists.
d. groceryaan.
e. dairyman.
5- Plant a garden.
Tuesday, January 12, 194}
Children prepared several bozes for seeds and planted beets, carrots,
and lettuce. They made plans for planting other things out of doors and
discussed their visit to the cafeteria the next morning.
Wednesday, January 13, 19U3
The children visited the school cafeteria where they sav:
1. Milk kept in an ice box with ohipped ice around it to keep it cold.
2. Various vegetables being prepared to go into soup: carrots, celery,
onions, peas, tomatoes, potatoes. They were especially interested
in the soup stook and how it was prepared.
3. Celery being washed carefully for celery sticks.
k. Dishes being washed and rinsed in steaming water.
5- A box of frozen green beans which they were to have for their lunch that
day.
6. Cabbage and apple slaw being prepared.
7- The steam table. They noticed especially:
a. the roll warmer;
b. the water inside which made steam when the burners underneath were
lit;
c. the vegetable and meat containers.
8. The home economics laboratory unit kitchens. -6- Thursday, January 14, 1943
The children talked about their visit to the cafeteria on the pro-
vide day. They seemed to have enjoyed it very much. They made plane to
go to the home economics department the next day to prepare applesauce
and baked potatoes for their lunch. They vrote a letter to Turner, the
Janitor, requesting that he cone to their room the next morning to help them dig up their garden outdoore.
Friday, January 15, 1943
Part of the children went outdoors to help get the garden dug and the
onion sets and turnip greens planted. The others came to the home eco-
nomics department to cook. They were divided into groups, the potato
group and the apple group. The apple group washed, peeled, and elioed the
apples for applesauce, and put them on to cook. The potato group scrubbed
the potatoes very clean with brushes and put them into the oven ready to be baked. Applesauce had always been their favorite luncheon dessert and they enjoyed it thoroughly today. Not a single ohild left any of his apple- sauce and only one child left the baked potato.
Monday, January 18, 191*3
As the ohildren were talking over the things they had done during the past week-end, Peggy said that she had had a baby Jaw tooth with a hole in it removed. Janet, whose father is a dentist, said that that hole was a cavity. The children, then, discussed the following ways to take care of their teeth:
1. Drink plenty of milk-
2. Brush your teeth twice a day.
3. Sleep 9-10 hours each night. You need extra sleep when you have -7- done extra things.
Allen said that carrots were needed to go along with the milk. Miss Cooper
asked, "What other vegetables which are yellow are good for us?' They named squash and sweet potatoes.
Charles said that children needed eggs, also.
"Let's name the fruits we like and that are good for us," suggested Miss
Cooper. "What fruits did you eat for breakfast?" They named oranges,
bananas, grapefruit, and orange Juice.
"What fruits do we cook?" The children named pears, peaches, prunes, cherries, and pineapple.
"What kind of vegetables do we need besides yellow ones?" They
named turnip greens, peas, green beans, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, and potatoes.
"What other kinds of foods do we need?" "Meat," replied Pat. They named ham, liver, pork, chicken, fish, shrimp, oysters, crabs, sausage, and steak.
Miss cooper said, "I can think of another food we haven't named, which
is important for us to eat. It is whole grain cereals." The children
recalled a chapel program which they had seen before Christmas given by
the Health Camp children in which the importance of whole grain cereals
was emphasized. They named the kinds of ready-to-eat and cooked cereals
they had had for breakfast that morning. They seemed surprised to learn
that brown bread was better for them to eat than white bread.
Miss Cooper talked about their trip to the dairy farm which they were
planning for that week. She gave each of them a note to take home to their
parents about it.
Tuesday, January 19, 19I43
The children were hoping for a pretty day tomorrow, beoause arrange- -8- ments had been Bade for them to go to the dairy farm if the weather was
good. This morning they talked together ahout their trip, and discussed
the things they vould look for, the questions they would ask, and the way
they would act. The dairy farm which they are going to visit is at the
Agricultural and Technical College for negroes located here in Greensboro.
They could go to and from there on the city bus, as the bus route was very convenient for this visit.
Wednesday, January 20, 1943
Mies Cooper was ill and unable to come to school that day and the
weather was quite cold, so the trip to the dairy was not carried out as
planned. Instead the group was divided into three parts to work in the
home economics laboratory. One group washed and scrubbed carrots and
cut them into strips for their lunch, leaving them on ice. A second
group fixed celery sticks in a similar manner. The third group mixed the
ground meat, bread crumbs, and salt for their meat balls. They especially
enjoyed scooping the meat into nice round patties and putting them into
the pan ready to be cooked. At lunch time very little of these foods
were left on the plates of the children.
Thursday, January 21, 19^3
Mies Cooper was still sick, so the trip to the dairy was again post- poned. The children wrote letters to her in which they described their cooking activities the day before, and drew various sketches of them. They drew pictures of the lunch they bad helped cook during their art period.
Friday, January 22, I9U3
This morning the children looked at a group of pictures of healthy boys and girls riding bicycles, playing tennis, basketball, football, I swimming etc., which depicted the value of drinking milk for the "boy or -9- glrl you are going to DO." They talked about how much milk they were
drinking, and the vegetables, fruits, and whole wheat cereals they were
eating. After a discussion period they were given picture sheets of Nancy,
a girl with strong, healthy teeth, They read the description of each
Picture and then went to their desks and colored each picture with their
wax crayons: yellow grapefruit, orange carrots, green vegetables, and brown bread.
Monday, January 25, 1943
This morning Miss Cooper was back at school, and the children told
her about their cooking activities the week before. Plane were made to
go to the dairy the first day that the weather was suitable.
Tuesday, January 26, 191*3
This morning the children came to the hone economics department to
make apple, raisin, and cabbage salad for their lunch. They first washed
the apples and cabbage carefully, and then cut them into email pieces. It
was explained to them why the apples were not peeled, and why the outside
leaves of the cabbage were not thrown away. They used small knives to
cut up the cabbage leaves. After they had put all the cabbage, apples,
and raisins in a pan, they mixed them all together with a small amount
of salad dressing. The children had been served this salad several times
before in the cafeteria, but today, there was less of it left on their
plates at lunch then ever before.
Wednesday, January 27, 1943
Van brought colored pictures of cows and bulls this morning. The
children talked about the four kinds that were illustrated: Jerseys,
Guernseys, Holsteins, and Brown Swiss. They knew that the cows they would see at the dairy farm would be Jerseys. -10- Janet had Drought a hook ahout milk from home, which the children
looked at together. The name of this hook was "A Happy Day." It had a
picture of children crushing their teeth, which they discussed. Then a
picture of children eating hreakfast Drought forth a discussion of a good
breakfast and a poor hreakfast. A picture of children playing in the sun-
shine caused them to remark that playing in the sunshine was good for
children hecause they needed it for growth of their bones and teeth. A
picture of a dentist called attention to the fact that children should go
to a dentist at least once every six months.
Some of the children had finished their booklet "Farm Friends" whioh
they had started the first week of the unit. They looked at these and discussed them this morning.
Miss Cooper said that she would like them to look at home in some old
magazines for pictures of young animals which drank milk. They named some
that they might look for. She told them of the possibility of their going
to Ken's house to see the animals there. Ken is a little boy in the kinder-
garten who lived quite near the school. He had a pet baby goat, some kittens,
puppies, chickens, and also a calf. The children were very eager to go to
see all these animals whioh drink milk, so they planned to go on Friday if
possible.
Thursday, January 28, I9U3
The children had asked if they could make some soup like that they had
seen being made the day they visited the sohool cafeteria, so this morning
they came to the home economics laboratory to make some for their lunch.
First, they put the soup bones in some water on the stove to cook for
soup stock. Then they cut up potatoes, carrots, and celery and put them together on the stove to cook. The green peas, butter beans, and tomatoes -11- oame out of cans. When they ate their eoup they vere very much pleased that
it turned out to be BO good.
Friday, January 29, 19^5
Today the children visited Ken's house. They were delighted vith animals
they saw there. They sav goats, chickens, kittens, puppies, and a calf. The
chickens were eating com, and the puppies, kittens, bahy goat, and calf were drinking milk.
Monday, February 1, 1943
This morning the children were divided into two groups. One group came
to the home economics kitchen to bake apples, and the other group went out doors to work in the garden.
Miss Outlaw worked with the cooking group as usual. Before they began
work on their apples, they talked to her about the things they were eating.
Every child out of thirty except three said they had milk for breakfast, and
all but six said they had eaten some kind of cooked or fresh fruit for break-
fast that morning. This wee an improvement over the week before when the same questions had been asked.
They washed their apples very carefully because they said they wanted
to get them so clean that they could eat the peelings. With the help of a
student teacher, they cut out the cores. Then they put brown sugar and
raisins in the hole In the apple, and when the hole was filled a dab of
butter was put on top. These were then ready to be baked.
When this group had finished, they went out to vegetable garden and
the other group came to the kitchen to prepare their apples.
Tuesday, February 2, 19I+3
This morning the ohildren again were divided into two groups as they had been the day before. In the kitchen they made a tossed salad of green -12 leafy vegetables, carrote, and apples. They out up green cabbage, being
careful not to throw away the outer leavee, and green spinaoh with sciesore,
and out up the apples and oarrots with small knives. When all the vege-
tables were ready they were mixed in a big bowl with salad dressing. They
were pleased with the red, green, and orange color of their salad, whioh
they ate for lunch. Out of the 29 who were present only k children failed
to eat all of their serving. Two weeks before 10 children had left their
entire servings of this same kind of salad.
Wednesday, February 3, 191*3
At last, the children visited the dairy farm. They ate an early lunch,
and got on the bus in front of the school, which carried them all the way.
First, they were taken into the barns where the cattle were housed to see
the stalls. They were especially interested in the individual water foun-
tains in each stall, of which they had seen pictures in their books. They
saw the silo where the grain for the cows was kept. Then they saw the
milking barn before the cows were brought in to be milked. They noticed
its cleanliness and tidiness, and looked at the scales which were used to
weigh the milk. The milking was to be at 12 o'clock, and by this time it
was 11:45, eo they then went to the bottling and pasteurizing room to see
the bottling machines. These machines washed each bottle, filled it with
milk, and capped it. They saw these in operation and then returned to
the milking barn. By now it was time for the cows to come in to be milked.
The children stood on the sides and quietly watched this process. It had
been impressed upon them that they must be very quiet, so they would not
frighten the oows. The milking was done by hand, while the cows were
eating. The milk given by eaoh cow was weighed and recorded. The milkers washed their hands and the cow's udders carefully before eaoh milking.
The children had many questions whioh they whispered quietly to Dr. -13- Kennedy, who was very kind In explaining each point to them. Some of their
questions were, "Do you have any cows besides Jerseys? Why must the food
and milk of each cow he weighed? Why must each oow have two names? May
we see the marking whioh you stamped on one of the cows? How many times do you milk each day?"
After the milking the ohildren went out to the pasture to see the calves
and hulls. They liked to watch the calves, hut they were more impressed with
the strength and fierceness of the hulls with the rings in their noses. After
they had watched them awhile they returned to school on the bus.
Thursday, February k, 191*3
This morning the ohildren discussed their trip. They seemed to have
enjoyed it tremendously, and to have learned a great deal from it. They
talked of visiting a near-by grooery store soon. They asked today if they
might bake some apples again, so that activity was planned for the next day.
Friday, February 5, 1943
The ohildren came to the kitchen to prepare their apples in groups as
they had previously done. Again they washed, oored, and stuffed the apples
vith raisins, brown sugar, and butter. They put them in the oven with the
heat turned on.
Only one child out of the thirty reported that she had had no milk for : breakfast that morning, and only two reported that they had had no fruit.
Monday, February 8, 19^3
This morning Miss Outlaw began weighing and measuring the ohildren. Their
weights and heights were recorded for comparison with future figures. This
stimulated a great deal of interest among the group. They asked such questions
as, "What can I do to be sure I will grow?" They enjoyed comparing their weights and heights with one another. -14- Thursday, February 9, 191*3
The rest of the children were weighed and measured this morning. Plans
were made for the children to make fruit gelatin the next day.
Wednesday, February 10, 191*3
The children came to the kitchen in groups again this morning as they
had before. They cut up peaches and pineapple into small pieces and put
them in the gelatin molds. They chose strawberry gelatin because they
liked the red color. When they had melted the gelatin in hot water, they
added an equal portion ofpeach and pineapple Juice, and poured this solution
into the molds on top of the fruit. Each child poured the fluid into one
mold. Then the molds were placed in the refrigerator to congeal. This
was to be eaten for their lunch the following day.
Thursday, February 11, 191*3
Today the children ate their gelatin on green lettuce as part of their
lunch. They enjoyed it very much. Every child but one ate all of his
serving. They made the following plans for the future.
1. Work fertilizer into the garden.
2. Make a big picture of cows in a barn.
3. Make a kitchen in their room.
a. Make a kitchen cabinet.
b. Make a drainboard beside the sink.
c. Sew on aprons, tablecloth, and towels.
d. Faint cabinet.
Friday, February 12, 191*3
It was cold today so the children could not work in their garden as they had planned. They talked together about their absence and tardy records.
Miss Cooper said that she believed one of the main reasons that Peggy had had Firrt Orada Children Preparing Ihole Grain Cereali -15- no absences or tardies all year was that she eats so well and plays a long
time outdoors every day. Food and garden books were checked in and out by
the class librarian, and the children took turns reading to the class from
the books they had selected. They read stories about food, gardens, and
grocery stores. Elaine began reading Skags, the Milk Horse to the class,
which they liked very much. They wanted to hear the rest of it soon. Several
children described the cooking they were doing at home.
Monday, February 15, I9U3
This morning the children came to the kitchen to cook whole grain
cereals. They prepared five kinds: Oatmeal with raisins in it, Wheatena,
Farina, Balston's, and Wheathearts. Pictures were made of this activity.
Each child ate a small portion of each kind with sugar and cream.
The Wheathearts and oatmeal were liked best by the children, and the
Wheatena was next in popularity.
Three children went this morning with a student teacher to buy additional
seeds for the garden. They came in late to sample the cereals.
This unit was planned for only six weeks, and this diary account was
kept only for that period, but the unit did not stop at the end of that time.
The following activities, which had been previously planned, were carried on
after the six weeks period:
1. The kitchen was made in one corner of the room with the wooden
drairiboard by the sink, a kitchen cabinet, and a hot plate. Dish towels,
aprons, and a tableoloth were made.
2. Many vegetables were grown in the garden successfully.
3. The trip to the grocery store was made. A booklet was made by each child about the things seen.
k. Recipe books were made as a gift for the mothers. -16-
5. A party was given for the mother a. Invitations were made
and napkins were colored gayly for this. A program was presented whioh included songs about foods, and a poem about eating breakfast, which was recited and pantomiaed. The children had made cookies and applesauce for refreshments. The gift recipe books were presented to the mothers at this time.
6. A chapel program was presented to inform the rest of the school what they had learned about foods.
7- For Easter the children chose, instead of an Easter egg hunt, to have a luncheon in their room. They wanted to help prepare the food for this luncheon. They planned the following menu: creamed eggs, mashed potatoes, applesauoe, and milk. They made the applesauce in their own kitohen and the mashed potatoes in the home economics kitchen. Table mats and paper napkins were colored deooratively for this special occasion.
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let o o p o N> o H I-* P O O a a. i P I ' oc/"o at:*3" I c* p £- 8 § o* © 1 OH> O * "8 3- CD Q 3 O H 01 W P- p °lC V 83 CD WO H- 5 O 0 8**- — o- B. *< *< fcfre CD H- 5 c p H c p ■ 3S 9 8 £ a a f -18- I. About how much does your chile, eat of the following every day?
1. Green vegetaoles .servings 2. Raw vegetables servings 3. Starchy vegetables servings 4. Milk, sweet or buttercuiik cups 5. Milk, chocolate cups 6. Fruit, fre^h servings 7. Fruits, dried or cookee. 8fcrvinfeS 8. White bread slices 9. Whole wbeut bread slice s 10. Coffe or Tea cups 11. Bottle drinks 12. tggs
Dpes.he. eat the following., footib? Often Occasionally 1 Seldom or ! not at ail Biackeyed ptas i Butter beans Cabbage Carrots Celery Corn Lettuce Tomatoes Turnip greens Sweet potatoes White potatoes 1 II. Actual food eaten in 24 hour period Write aown the foods consummea by him or her both at meal time and between meals during the last Breakfast Evening Meal In betwtcn Typical Meals noon meal when at home III. Attituae toware.3 looei Does he like to try new foous? What are some of bis most outstanding fooc likes? What art some of his most outstanding iooo eiisliKes? Any special problems? -19- Directions for Giving Foods Test to First Grade Children 1. Teacher says, "At the top of the page are two loaves of bread. One of them is white bread, and the other is whole wheat bread. Draw a circle around the one which is best for ohildren to eat. 2. "Under the bread are some glasses of milk. Put a cross mark on as many glassed a8 you need everyday. 3- "Under the milk is an apple and a candy bar. Draw a circle around the one, which would be best for you to eat in the middle of the afternoon." k. Teacher points to glass of milk and bottle drink and says, "Here is a glass of milk and a bottle drink. Draw a circle around the one whioh is best for you to drink." 5. Teacher points, "Here are two breakfasts. In the first one there is a half grapefruit, a bowl of oatmeal, an egg, a pieoe of whole wheat toast with butter and a glaBS of milk. In the other breakfast there is a bowl of cornflakes, some grits, a piece of white bread, some Jam and a cup of coffee. Put a crone on the one you would rather have. 6. Underneath the breakfasts are two dinners. One has a pieoe of steak, some green peas, a baked potato, carrot, spinach and cabbage salad on green lettuce, a whole wheat muffin with butter, a baked apple and a glass of milk. The other breakfast has some fried sausage, some mashed potatoes, some white rice, a piece of white bread, a piece of chocolate pie and a glass of tea. Put a cross on the one you would choose." J -20- <*>, -21- Compilation Table 1. Classification of Daily Dietary Habits of Children According to Study Number Parent Child of IhdiTidual Before After Before After One Good Excellent Fair Exoellent Two Excellent Exoellent Good Excellent Three Good Excellent Fair Good Four Good Excellent Good Excellent Five Poor Fair Poor Fair Six Good Excellent Good Excellent Seven Poor Good Fair Good Eight Poor Fair Poor Fair line Fair* Good Fair Good Ten Fair* Excellent Fair Good Eleven Fair* Excellent Fair Excellent Twelve Good Excellent Good Excellent Thirteen Good Good Good Excellent Fourteen Good Good Good Excellent Fifteen Poor Fair Poor Good Sixteen Good Good Fair Excellent Seventeen Poor Poor Fair Good Eighteen Good Excellent Fair Good Nineteen Fair Good Poor Fair Twenty Good Good Good Good -22- Compilation Table 1. (continued) Study Number Parent of Child Individual Child Before After Before After Twenty-one Good Excellent Fair Excellent Twenty-two Good Good Poor Fair Twenty-three Excellent Excellent Fair Good Twenty-four Fair Good Poor Good Twenty-fire Pair Good Fair Good Twenty-nix Good Fair Fair Good Twenty-seven Poor Fair Poor Good Twenty-eight Fair Fair Fair Good Twenty-nine Fair Good Poor Excellent Thirty Poor* Poor Fair Fair -23- Compilation Table el h '" j..^*j.»^mm.xS£$S^,l?* Kil aii.aren *™ *"'■* **•>»■ <* Study Number of Individual Before Unit During Unit After Unit One Fair Good Good Two Good Good Good Three Poor Fair Fair Four Good Good Good Tire Good Good Good Six Fair Good Good Seven Good Good Good Eight Poor Fair Fair Nine Fair Fair Good Ten Fair Good Good Eleven Poor Fair Good Twelve Fair Good Good Thirteen Poor Poor Poor Fourteen Good Fair Good Fifteen Poor Poor Fair Sixteen Poor Fair Fair Seventeen Poor Poor Poor Eighteen Fair Good Good Nineteen Poor Fair Good Twenty Good Good Good Twenty-one Good Good Good Compilation Table 2. Classification of School Lunch Eating Hahits of Individual Children (continued) Twenty-two Poor Fair Fair Twenty-three Fair Good Good Twenty-four Good Good Good Twenty-five Poor Fair Fair Twenty-six Poor Poor Poor Twenty-seven Poor Poor Poor Twenty-eight Fair Good Fair Twenty-nine Good Good Good Thirty Poor Fair Fair Good— Drank all milk and cleaned plate. Fair—Left only small portions of food. Poor—Left large portions of food.